State Champ Radio R&B/Hip-Hop
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On Wednesday (Nov. 30), fans got closer to receiving SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album S.O.S. when the TDE singer unveiled the project’s cover art on Instagram.
Donning a football jersey with S.O.S. stitched on the sleeve, SZA sits on the edge of a diving board planted over a large body of water.
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Earlier this month, SZA released her newest single, “Shirt,” which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with doling out another high-charting single, SZA recently covered Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. In the cover story, she questioned her longevity in music and where she sees her career going forward.
“I feel like music, in this capacity, I don’t see longevity,” she admitted. “I like to create, I like to write, I like to sing, and I like to share. But I don’t know if chasing after superstardom or whatever I’m supposed to be doing right now is sustainable for me or for anybody. I’mma take a good swing at it, and I’mma give ’em my absolute best.”
Since her 2017 opus Ctrl, SZA’s road to S.O.S. has been a long one. Despite remaining tight-lipped about her pending release, she strung together a bevy of one-off singles, including “Good Days” and “I Hate U.” Both songs enjoyed considerable success on the Hot 100, peaking inside the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 7, respectively. “I only do what I want to do,” SZA revealed in her cover story, “and this makes me feel free and safe and unrestricted.”
This weekend, SZA is set to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live with Keke Palmer serving as the show’s host.
Check out the album cover of SZA’s S.O.S. below.
Megan has gone Meta.
Just in time for the holidays, you can watch Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Enter Thee Hottieverse” performance from the comfort of your home, thanks to AmazeVR bringing the show to the Meta Quest App Lab store.
The VR tour, which took place in-person at AMC theaters — selling out shows in 15 cities from April to July of this year — marked the first of its kind and expanded the scope of touring for artists. For its comeback, the show is revamped with interactive user features and an exclusive behind-the-scenes video.
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Coming in at $6.99, the virtual concert ticket is far cheaper than watching the “Savage” rapper perform in person ($400 VR headset not included) and comes to your living room, so no concert outfit necessary. Interested users are able to download the AmazeVR app for free and try one song before purchasing the full show.
“The Enter Thee Hottieverse VR Concert Tour gave fans the chance to connect with Megan Thee Stallion in a new way,” says co-CEO and co-founder for AmazeVR, Steve Lee, in a statement. “Now, our at-home VR concert is the next step in sharing this experience with those who weren’t able to join us on tour.”
During the pre-recorded show, Megan serves a number of looks in her performance of four songs assisted by backup dancers, including “Savage,” “Body” and “Kitty Kat.” The singer appears to be up-close and personal, without the front-row seats.
On Thursday, November 17, LA’s music industry who’s-who gathered to celebrate the honorees of the 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players List. Included in the night of celebration was the award presentation of the Rémy Martin Impact and Excellence Award, awarded to SAINt JHN. Watch his acceptance speech, presented by the premium cognac brand.
For fans who thought that 21 Savage and Nas were feuding, the rumors can officially be put to rest. On Tuesday (Nov. 29), the pair released a collaborative track titled “One Mic, One Gun.”
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The song kicks off with a jazzy, horn-driven instrumental before going into a trap beat. Nas comes in on the first verse, swaggering into the track with usual rap braggadocio and showing love to his New York City roots.
“Whatever I do is N.Y., I’m keepin’ it Queens ’cause that’s my side (What up?)/ I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state/ I’m with 21 on my second run, this s–t come with age,” the “One Mic” rapper boasts on the track.
Savage, meanwhile, considers himself an equal to the ’90s rapper and boasts, “I’m on that same trajectory/ Bullet wounds and jail cells couldn’t stop me, this my destiny.” Potentially referencing his and Nas’ supposed “feud,” he continues, “Never controversial, I’m mad the fans expected less from me/ N—- sneezed around me, wipe his nose, won’t get no bless from me.”
“One Mic, One Gun” arrives after Savage made waves for reportedly disrespecting Nas’ legacy. In a Twitter Spaces chat that circulated on the social media platform earlier this month, the rapper said, “I don’t feel like he’s relevant, he just has a loyal a– fanbase and he still makes good-a– music.”
He later appeared to backtrack on the comments, tweeting on Nov. 14 that he “would never disrespect nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it.”
Listen to “One Mic, One Gun” above.
He’s already a 14-time Grammy Award winner, and now Kendrick Lamar is hoping to extend his good fortune to the Oscars.
Leading up to the 2023 Academy Awards — whose shortlist voting takes place next month, Dec. 12-15 — Lamar spoke with Variety in an interview published Tuesday (Nov. 29) about his short film We Cry Together, in which he stars opposite Taylour Paige.
For the rapper, one of the most important things about his short film was to make sure that it felt real. We Cry Together sees Lamar and Paige exploring a relationship that’s equal parts vulnerable and toxic from the confines of a small space. The film, should it secure a nomination, would be up for a spot in the best live action short category at the Academy Awards.
“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”
Lamar directed the short alongside Dave Free and Jake Schreier; in the interview, Free noted that “when we went into this project, Kendrick was telling me about how he wanted the room to feel thick, and the room to feel intense … He wanted to really address topics that we, as a society, kind of shy away from.”
“The Heart Part 5” rapper added, “So in writing, I say, ‘OK, how can I make this feel personal, but also holding up a mirror as a collective concept, rather than just a personal concept.’ I wanted to bring that drama because, at the end of the day, whether we like it or not — the good, the bad and the ugly, the pros and cons — that’s what makes everything evolve.”
Of the filmmaking process, Lamar stated that it allowed him to have “more freedom, as a person. Being able to run toward my fear and say the things I want to say and do it in an artistic way — it allowed me to live my truth even deeper.”
Only 10 films will make the shortlist for the Oscars’ best live action short category, before being narrowed down to the final five nominees. Lamar — who was previously nominated alongside SZA, Mark “Sounwave” Spears and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith for an Oscar in 2019 for the Black Panther track “All the Stars” in the best original song category — will learn if We Cry Together made the cut when the shortlist is revealed on Dec. 21.
Lamar and Free are nominated for a Grammy as directors of Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” which is up for best music video. Lamar and Free won in that category five years ago for “Humble.,” which they co-directed with Dave Meyers.
Future’s prolific output continues Tuesday (Nov. 29) with the release of his new video “712PM.”
Directed by Travis Scott, the video finds Future arriving on the scene inside a luxe Maybach with a bodacious model alongside him. And when Future isn’t flashing his gaudy jewels inside the club, he’s draped in fur, rapping in front of a torrid ball of fire.
This isn’t the first time Scott has lent his imaginative touch to the “WAIT FOR U” rapper: In September, Scott served as the creative director for Future’s “LOVE YOU BETTER” performance on Jimmy Fallon Live!
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This year has proven to be a banner year for Future, who recently covered Billboard’s R&B / Hip-Hop Power Players issue. The cover story explored Future’s wins, most notably his eighth No. 1 album, I NEVER LIKED YOU. Despite his accolades, Future is still looking for more leverage to empower those close to him. “When you have more power, that means you can put other people in positions [of power]. If you have a little power, then the people around you, what kind of power do they have?” he said during the interview. “So you want people around you that are super powerful. You are your company. Progressing and elevating is the key.
He also touched on one day being able to balance a thriving career and successful marriage, saying: “I feel like I can have both. When the time’s right, it’ll happen. It ain’t nothing that I’m really chasing. But I do dream of it, and I do want it.”
Watch “712PM” below.
Thanksgiving may be over but there’s still plenty of music to be thankful for! This week we’ve highlighted various artists who have a knack for pushing the envelope sonically. From veterans like Don Toliver and Babyface Ray to newcomers like Alé Araya and Jeshi, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below.
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Freshest Find: Don Toliver, “Do It Right”
Don Toliver is special. The Cactus Jack signee’s new single “Do It Right” earns him this week’s Freshest Find for his interpolation of the S.O.S. Band’s 1980 hit “Take Your Time (Do It Right).” Produced by Jahaan Sweet and Boi-1da, the new offering features Toliver’s signature melodic vocals but this time, over a hip-hop, club-type beat. Inspired by Soul Train, the video is sees the Houston singer-rapper in a red 70s era suit at a fictional disco club called Lit City. The visual then transitions to a pool party. “Do It Right” is ushering in a new sonic era for Toliver, who has been teasing his upcoming album Lovesick for some time now.
Liv.e, “Wild Animals”
Along with her new single “Wild Animals,” Liv.e announced her sophomore album, Girl in the Half Pearl, is due out on February 10. The new track melds piano and bass loops with her harmonized vocals, and is accompanied by a stunning visual that she directed herself. “I really love the process of coming up with a vision and doing my best to ensure that it will come out just as it was in my imagination. I tend to use almost all my practices as another way to strengthen my trust and belief in myself,” Liv.e says of the directorial process.
Babyface Ray feat. Blxst & Nija, “Spend It”
Detroit favorite Babyface Ray gets in touch with his softer side on “Spend It.” Enlisting Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B Rookie of the Year, Blxst and singer-songwriter Nija, the Eastside native showers his girl with love and lavish gifts rapping, “Let’s go spend some time in Chanel/ Get your hair done and go paint all your nails/ Baccarat candles, change up the smell.” The romantic track is a refreshing move for the rapper, who typically opts for more hardened tales of street life, as he leans into the “Babyface” part of his name.
Zack Fox, “sipping my tea”
Zack Fox is sipping his tea and spilling it too. Produced by BNYX, his new single “sipping my tea” sees the actor-rapper-comedian spitting random yet cohesive bars for a little over a minute. The multitalented artist has a knack for music, when he decides to make it — as most, if not all, of his songs are bangers.
Alé Araya, “treetops”
“treetops” is an anthem of radical self-love and self-acceptance. The new song captures Chilean singer Alé Araya’s unbound sound as it is a melting pot of sounds and influences including jazz, R&B, soul, Latin, pop, electronic music and beyond. “treetops” is part of a larger body of work that was born from a period of deep loss, and sees Araya return to herself powerfully and authentically.
Ayelle, “Girlfriend”
Ayelle is more than someone’s girlfriend. On her acoustic new single, the Swedish-Iranian singer expresses her desires to want to be loved beyond her romantic status, singing, “What if I wanna be loved, what if I wanna be loved/ Like I don’t belong to, the one I make love to.”
Moyana Olivia feat. Rhome, “Next to Me”
Moyana Olivia and Rhome team up this week for the new single “Next to Me.” The former artist sings with fervor, delivering seasoned vocals about wanting her lover to always be by her side. The L.A. rapper then slides in to deliver bars from a male perspective. The duo also self-directed the song’s accompanying visual, which sees them enjoying a game night with their friends.
MFnMelo, “Rumors”
Continuing the group’s recent run of singles, Pivot Gang’s MFnMelo drops a solo effort, “Rumors.” Produced by Blake Wright, the Chicago rapper spits about staying locked in and blocking out the outside noise. “Self-sufficient is the mission, don’t let them retreat your vision/ Trust is instinct, be you/ That’s unique” he raps.
Joya Mooi, “Tears”
Ahead of her upcoming album, What’s Around the Corner, dropping in January, Joya Mooi released the hi-hat heavy new single, “Tears.” “‘Tears’ is about the feeling that comes to you when you finally lean into life, let go, and let the rain fall,” the Amsterdam-based artist said in a press statement. “Trying to embrace dramatic endings, resets, failures and the darkest phases that you’ve been through.”
Jeshi, “This Thing of Ours”
East London rapper Jeshi delivers a house-inspired new track on the deluxe version of his debut album, Universal Credit, which arrived earlier this year. “This Thing of Ours” sees the artist spitting over a house/hip-hop hybrid beat as the visual shows him in and out of phone booths and walking the streets of London.
Late Migos member Takeoff‘s brother, rapper YRN Lingo, paid loving tribute to his fallen sibling on Monday (Nov. 28) in a lengthy Instagram post in which he looked back on the huge impact Take (born Kirsnick Khari Ball), 28, had on his life.
“Dear Take, I don’t know where to begin, I honestly still can’t believe it,” Lingo wrote in the multi-page post that featured family photos of the brothers with their mom through the years and a final slide of them as adults. “My big brother, my right hand, my other half, my literal twin. The one I could call upon anytime no matter what time, weather, situation you were in. You always made sure the family was straight, even when I didn’t need anything you always gave me something.”
Lingo recalled a time when they were children when Takeoff came into his room and promised that when he made it as a rapper, “‘you can ask me for anything. I mean anything.’” But, in the wake of Takeoff’s killing in an as-yet-unsolved Dec. 1 shooting at a bowling alley in Houston, Lingo said now he has to adjust to life without his older sibling.
“I hate that I have to move on with my life without you physically here, I wish I could just stop time and wait, but I know what can’t happen,” he wrote. “It’a a lot of things I’m going to miss about you, I could name them but it would be a full list and that would take forever. I looked up to you more than anyone on this earth and I will never stop looking up to you.”
Lingo promised to “carry” Takeoff’s name for the rest of his life, calling himself the pupil to Take’s teacher. “You thought [sic] me things and brought me places that [a] majority of the people can say they never seen or heard, level-headed, nothing ever got to you unless it had to do with family or money,” he wrote. “You always stayed in your lane and never bothered anyone. Quiet, but very well-spoken and a real HUMBLE GIANT.”
Calling his brother one of God’s “purest angels,” Lingo said he’s still trying to wrap his head around the killing, asking his big brother to help guide him through this “hell on earth, ’cause it’s going to be hard, super hard without you bro,” he said, listing the little things he’ll miss, including rolling one up and watching a movie and Takeoff’s sage counsel to pay attention to the details.
“I have to live by your book now, think before I speak, love the family before anyone and put my faith in God,” he wrote. “I will see you again one day in heaven brother along with my great grandma. I’ll take care of Mama and Heaven down here. Take you fulfilled your purpose and more. You will forever remain in my heart, our hearts.”
Check out Lingo’s post below.
Kanye West continued his bizarre alt-right media tour on Monday (Nov. 28) when he was joined by Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and professional troll Milo Yiannopoulos on Tim Pool’s Timcast IRL podcast. At first, West (who now goes by Ye), energetically defending himself against the media backlash spurred by his recent rash of antisemitic comments — while simultaneously doubling down by repeating hate language about Jewish control of the media and banking — but when Pool gingerly probed that line of questioning Ye quickly bailed.
“I just got to go to the heart of this antisemite claim,” West said as he dove into a monologue in which he accused former retail partners Gap and Adidas, as well as Vogue magazine, former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and his personal trainer of being part of a Jewish-led conspiracy to destroy his career. “It’s the truth,” Ye said of his antisemitic claims, pointing to his rapid fall from grace as proof that he’s been targeted and brought low by a shadowy, citing former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner for no clear reason other than that they are Jewish.
When right-wing host Pool probed that area and noted that where West sees Jewish people and “associates” them with power, Pool doesn’t think that is not relevant to the discussion. Yiannopoulos then praised West for breaking the “biggest dam,” seemingly referring to the discussion of hateful tropes about alleged Jewish control of media and banking. “We were all wondering how this dam was going to break… what is the root of this hypocrisy? Why can people talk about white people a certain way, why can’t we talk about that group a certain way?,” he asked. “The wretched and wicked and prevailing orthodoxy of cancel culture… well, it turned out that the one thing that was going to break the dam was the biggest star in the world… and now the dam is broken.”
West complained that “they tried to put me in prison,” without going into specifics, discussing his “de-banking” and claiming he’s trying to start his own bank to avoid the traditional systems. When the conversation turned more directly to allegations of Ye’s antisemitism, the rapper tightened and threatened to bail before doubling-down on his anti-Jewish statements. “I feel like it’s a setup … I’m going to walk the f–k off the show if I’m having to talk about,” Ye said. “‘You can’t say Jewish people did it,’ when every sensible person knows — that Jon Stewart knows — what happened to me, and they took it too far.” Then, less than 23 minutes into the conversation, Ye walked out.
Trump has been widely condemned, by both sides of the political aisle, for hosting Ye and white nationalist Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago estate last week, where, according to the disgraced rapper, he pitched the former commander-in-chief on being his vice president as West seemingly ramps up for a second long-shot White House bid.
Visibly angered by Pool’s antisemitism questions, West compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr., evoking the horrific images of the 1960s civil rights struggle as a metaphor for his feelings about the meltdown of his once-formidable fashion and music empire in the wake of his repeated slurs against the Jewish people.
“I thought I was more Malcolm X, but I found out I’m more MLK. As I’m getting hosed down every day by the press and financially, I’m just standing there,” West said. “When I found out they were trying to put me in jail, it was like a dog was biting my arm and I almost shed a tear. Almost. But I still walked in stride through it.” When Pool tried to commiserate with West by saying that “they” (which he identified as the “corporate press”) had been “extremely unfair” to Ye, Fuentes attempted to speak on the rapper’s behest before Kanye got fed up, pulled off his headphones and angrily left the set.
“Corporate press. I don’t use the word as the way, I guess, you guys use [it],” Pool said. “It is them, though, isn’t it,” Fuentes asked. “No, it’s not,” Pool replied. “What do you mean it’s not?” Ye said annoyed before leaving.
Speaking on a follow-up Timcast, Pool said he thought the walk-off was “staged” by Ye, even as he referred to Yiannopoulos as a “genius” for what he suspected was a secret plot by Milo to get revenge on Trump and ruin the twice-impeached real estate mogul’s chances for a third White House bid; Pool also noted that he finds Yiannopoulos and Fuentes’ statements on Jewish people to be “ridiculous” as he speculated that West’s aim all along was to walk off in protest to create a spectacle.
Fuentes has been called a “white supremacist” by the Anti-Defamation League and in February at the the America First conference, he was widely denounced for praising Adolf Hitler in his introduction to alt-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, saying, “And now they’re going on about Russia, and ‘Vladimir Putin is Hitler’ — and they say that’s not a good thing … Can we get a round of applause for Russia? Yes!”
Yiannopoulos, who has also been accompanying West lately and is reportedly his 2024 presidential campaign manager, is a well-known right-wing troll who interned for Greene earlier this year and has been blocked from most major social media platforms for his repeated comments about Islam and feminism and his embrace of antisemitic figures.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) walks out of an interview with Tim Pool when pushed on his claim that Jews control the media. Nick Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulos followed him off set too. pic.twitter.com/eKAUeDS9kd— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) November 29, 2022
Cardi B opened up about the overwhelming grief husband Offset is feeling in the wake of the killing of his Migos bandmate and cousin Takeoff. “We living our life normally, but deep down inside our hearts have been so heavy,” Cardi said in a since-deleted Twitter voice note according to People. “I feel like if I talk about the incident so desensitized, I feel like if we talk about how we really feel or what motherf—kers really been going through, y’all will start saying, ‘Oh, sympathy. Oh sympathy.’ And we don’t want no sympathy. We ain’t no charity case. But no lie, I have been feeling so hopeless trying to make my husband happy.”
Takeoff (born Kirsnick Khari Ball), 28, was shot and killed in a still-unsolved incident on Nov. 1 at a Houston bowling alley.
Cardi also said that she’s in no mood to be “playing around” with fans online who are trying to “get clout” by speaking on Takeoff’s death, as the past month has been very difficult for her and her family. “Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry, see him trying to distract his mind completely, f—in’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks. We not in the mood to be f—in’ playin’ around with y’all. Dead a–,” Cardi said of her efforts to cheer up Offset in a recording of the note captured by The Neighborhood Talk.
Offset and Migos bandmate Quavo were on hand to pay tribute to Takeoff at a celebration of life event at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Nov. 11.
